Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
Six professional women from the Rio Grande Valley were recognized at a Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas Rio Grande Valley chapter event that also raised support for student scholarships and leadership development. Speakers said the organization’s mission is to advance women in “public, corporate and civic life through education, personal and professional development.”
Dr. Esmeralda Adame, Chair, said HWNT is a statewide organization and that “every single dollar goes into scholarships, goes back into the community.” Assistant treasurer Miriam Frias said the group’s Latinas in Progress program served “80 students this year,” offering college readiness support, mentorship, and scholarship opportunities. Frias said, “We are investing in the next generation of women who will one day hopefully be exactly where you are today.” Speakers also promoted the Lady in Red Scholarship Gala and Madrina sponsorships, which Frias said provide $1,000 toward scholarships.
Sussie Neaville, who introduced the honorees, said event proceeds support students in a Saturday leadership program that includes etiquette, financial literacy, self-defense, and college preparation. She then presented the six women recognized for professional and community leadership.
Dr. Bonnie De La Rosa Villarreal, owner of Rio Vista Dentistry in Harlingen, said she leads “a dental practice in Harlingen” and employs “20 females” in an all-female practice with three other doctors. She said ownership required extra effort as a woman and added, “That extra hard work and grit matter.”
Therese Anne Capistran, superintendent of Point Isabel ISD, said she has worked in education for 37 years and is a first-generation high school and college graduate. She said education was “the only way to break the cycle of poverty” for her family. Capistran also noted that while “about 75% of Texas teachers are females,” only “between 28 29% of superintendents in Texas are females.”
Dr. Linda Treviño Burke, pediatric dentist and owner of Burke Children’s Dentistry in Harlingen, was recognized in absentia. According to her introduction, she has held leadership roles with the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation, the Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce, Valley Baptist Hospital, and the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners. In remarks read by Lizzy de la Garza Putegnat, Burke said, “your voice matters, your dreams matter, and you’re capable of more than you know.”
Dr. Jennifer Mendoza Colbertson, chief administrator for internal affairs at Hidalgo County Precinct 4, said the recognition reflected collective effort. “None of us makes history alone,” she said. Colbertson said making history means “opening doors so others can walk through them.”
Harlingen Mayor Norma Sepulveda, introduced as the city’s first female mayor, said, “I had no intention of getting into politics. I had no roadmap.” She said women often think they must be “overly qualified” before stepping forward and added that Harlingen now has “more women directors than we do men.”
Marie Salazar Garcia, executive director of the Heart, Mind, and Money Foundation and founder of Latina Empire RGV, said the honor marked “a full circle moment” after years of service with HWNT. She said her work is guided by a “100-year plan” focused on whether today’s efforts will “open doors for women” and “inspire the next generation of young leaders.”
Throughout the event, speakers tied the recognition of established leaders to a practical goal: funding scholarships and creating opportunities for younger women.
